FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.6.15

तस्मिन्निर्मनुजेऽरण्ये पिप्पलोपस्थ आश्रित: । आत्मनात्मानमात्मस्थं यथाश्रुतमचिन्तयम् ॥ १५ ॥
tasmin nirmanuje ’raṇye
[tasmin nirmanuje ’ranye]
pippalopastha āśritaḥ
[pippalopastha aashritah]
ātmanātmānam ātmasthaṁ
[aatmanaatmaanam aatmastham]
yathā-śrutam acintayam
[yathaa-shrutam achintayam]
Word-for-word
tasmin — in that nirmanuje — without human habitation araṇye — in the forest pippala — banyan tree upasthe — sitting under it āśritaḥ — taking shelter of ātmanā — by intelligence ātmānam — the Supersoul ātma-stham — situated within myself yathā-śrutam — as I had heard it from the liberated souls acintayam — thought over.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tasmin nirmanuje ’raṇye
tasmin
in that
nirmanuje
without human habitation
araṇye
in the forest
pippalopastha āśritaḥ
pippala
banyan tree
upasthe
sitting under it
āśritaḥ
taking shelter of
ātmanātmānam ātmasthaṁ
ātmanā
by intelligence
ātmānam
the Supersoul
ātma-stham
situated within myself
yathā-śrutam acintayam
yathā-śrutam
as I had heard it from the liberated souls
acintayam
thought over.
After that, under the shadow of a banyan tree in an uninhabited forest I began to meditate upon the Supersoul situated within, using my intelligence, as I had learned from liberated souls.
Purport

One should not meditate according to one’s personal whims. One should know perfectly well from the authoritative sources of scriptures through the transparent medium of a bona fide spiritual master and by proper use of one’s trained intelligence for meditating upon the Supersoul dwelling within every living being. This consciousness is firmly developed by a devotee who has rendered loving service unto the Lord by carrying out the orders of the spiritual master. Śrī Nāradajī contacted bona fide spiritual masters, served them sincerely and got enlightenment rightly. Thus he began to meditate.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In that desolate forest, sitting at the base of a pippala tree, I concentrated by using my intelligence on Paramātmā situated within my mind, as I had been taught.
Commentary

Sitting (āśritaḥ) at the base of an aśvattha tree (pippalopasthe), in the manner I had heard from the mendicants (yathā śrutam), not surpassing the meditation using the mantra given, using my intelligence (ātmanā), I contemplated Paramātmā (ātmānam) who was situated in my mind, and who resided there permanently because I had developed prema.

Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Under a banyan tree, Nārada meditated on the Supersoul as the liberated sages had taught him. Meditation should not be invented privately — it must be received from a trustworthy source and then practiced steadily.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose actual instruction am I following in my inner practice — or am I improvising?
  • Where could a trained meditation, received properly, replace my well-meaning guesswork?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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